Biodiversity of algae and protozoa in a natural waste stabilization pond: a field study

A field study was carried out on the biodiversity of protozoa and algae from a natural waste stabilization pond during November, 1996 to April, 1997. The raw waste and pond samples were analysed for physico-chemical and biological parameters. High dissolved oxygen (DO) coinciding with phytoplankton peak was recorded. The algae--Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus acuminatus, Oscillatoria brevis and Nostoc piscinale and Protozoa--Paramecium caudatum, Acanthamoeba sp., Bodo saltans and Oikomonas termo were obvious as dominant species, whereas algae Ochromonas pyriformis and Synura uvella and protozoa, Didinium masutum and Stentor coerulus were noted as rare species. Totally 71 species of algae and 13 species of protozoa were identified.